Airplane having two separable flyable sections



Oct. 31, 1961 E. A. ELIJAH 3,006,576

AIRPLANE HAVING TWO SEPARABLE FLYABLE SECTIONS Filed Dec. 19, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

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AIRPLANE HAVING TWO SEPARABLE FLYABLE SECTIONS Filed Dec. 19, 1958 E. A. ELIJAH Oct. 31, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E/VOCl-l' 4. EL BY i & I m w wm 1 N mm, T A) A m/ r W N. Nm m NM. I'll M I .1 I w m 3 cm NV I r mm\\\\\\ United States Patent 3,006,576 AIRPLANE HAVING TWO SEPARABLE FLYABLE SECTIONS Enoch A. Elijah, 36 Saify Bldg., opposite Gandhi Gardens, Karachi 3, Pakistan Filed Dec. 19, 1958, Ser. No. 781,508 3 Claims. (Cl. 244-2) This invention relates to an airplane having a main flyable section and a secondary flyable section which is adapted to be separated from the main section in the event of failure of the main section.

The primary objection of the invention is to provide a practical and eflicient airplane of the character indicated, wherein some of the engines are on the main section and others on the secondary section, and each section is provided with flying controls, so that the passengers and crew in the main section can, upon failure of the main section, save themselves by transferring to the secondary section, separating the secondary section from the main section, and flying or gliding the secondary section to safety, allowing the damaged main section to crash or to be flown, if possible, by crew remaining thereaboard.

Another object of the invention is to provide efiicient, simple, reliable, and easily operated and lockable means for connecting the secondary section upon the main section, and operating means therefor, the connecting means including projecting spring means which acts, upon release of the connecting means, to project the secondary section upwardly and away from the main section.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific form of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top perspective view showing a sectional airplane in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged contracted and fragmentary vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 2--2 of FIGURE 1, showing the connecting means engaged and locked;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a further enlarged fragmentary vertical transverse section taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 2.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the illustrated airplane comprises a lower main section A and an upper secondary section B which is superimposed upon the main section A, and is releasably connected thereto, the sections being formed and associated with each other in such a way that the assembled and composite airplane is flyable as a unit.

The main section A can have any suitable form and may comprise a longitudinally elongated fuselage 8 having a rudder and stabilizer tail assembly 10 on the rear end, and a pilot cabin 12 on its forward end. The area of the roof of the fuselage preferably immediately behind the cabin 12 is formed by a substantially flat horizontal longitudinally elongated plate 14 of substantial thickness, rigidity, and structural strength, which is preferably located in the area of the roots of the lateral airfoil wings 16 which are assembled to the fuselage 8 at points spaced below the roof plate 14. On the leading edges of the wings 16 are engine nacelles 18 containing any suitable propelling engines, such as jet or propeller engines.

The upper secondary section B can have any suitable form, but is preferably of a bat-wing conformation, involving wings 20, substantially similar to and spaced above and coextensive with the wings 16 of the upper section A, and a relatively flat fuselage component 22 between and connecting the wings 20 and having thereon an upstanding cabin 24. On the leading edges of the wings 20 are laterally spaced engine nacelles 26, containing any suitable propelling engines, the nacelles 26, if being in laterally spaced or staggered relation, to and above the nacelles 18 of the lower main section A. On the rear of the fuselage compartment 26 is an upstanding vertical stabilizer and rudder assembly 28, and along the trailing edges of the wings 20 are aileron 30, the controls for which are preferably located in the cabin 24.

As shown in FIGURE 2, the body component 22 has a lower flat horizontal element or plate 30 which overlies and extends for a substantial portion of the length of the main section roof plate 14. Spaced at intervals along the roof plate 14 are laterally spaced pairs of vertical brackets 32 which comprise shanks 34 extending above the plate 14 through openings 36 provided therein. Mounting and bracing flanges 38 are secured to the shanks 34 and engage the open side of the plate 14 to which they are suitably secured. On the upper ends of the shanks 34 are fixed horizontal and longitudinally extending and aligned sleeves 40 through which locking rods 42 are slidable endwise and forwardly as shown in FIGURE 3 for locking and retractable rearwardly for unlocking operations.

The locking rods 42 are on the outer ends of cross bars 44 which intersect and are secured to a pair of longitudinal side bars 46, with the locking rods 42 spaced laterally outwardly from related side bars 46. Stretched between the cross bars 44 at their midpoints and anchor lugs 48 secured upon the roof plate 14, at points spaced forwardly from related cross bars, are contractile springs 50 which serve to forwardly bias the locking assembly, generally designated 52, which is constituted by the rods 42, the bars 44, and the bars 46.

For operating the locking assembly 52 forwardly and rearwardly, a longtudinal rotatable rod 54 is provided which is supportably journaled through journals 56 on the lower ends of brackets 58 which are suitably fixed to and depend from the underside of the roof plate 14 midway between the side bars 46 of the locking assembly 52. At an intermediate point thereof the operating rod 54 has an open preferably rectangular frame 60 which provides clearance for the presence of a ladder assembly 62, which is provided for the transfer of passengers and crew from the lower main section A into the upper secondary section B, through openings provided therein, such as the opening 64.

Operatively connecting the rear end of the operating rod 54 to the rearmost cross bar 44 is a toggle lever 66 which is pivoted intermediate its ends at 68 in an opening 70 provided in the roof plate 14 and has pivot and slot connections 72 and 74 in its ends with a lug 76 on the rearmost cross bar 44 and with the rear end of the operating rod 54, respectively. Thus forward shifting of the operating rod 54 produces rearward retracting movements of the locking rods 42 in the sleeves 40, and rearward shifting of the operating rod produces forward locking movements of the locking rods.

Fixed to and depending from a forward part of the roof plate 14 is a fixture 78 carrying a padlock 80, whose hasp 82 is adapted to be passed through a transverse opening 84 provided in the forward part of the operating rod 54, when the operating rod is in its forwardmost and full locking position, so that the operating rod is positively prevented from being displaced from its full locking position. For producing forward shifting of the operating rod 54 the same has on its forward end a screwthreaded portion 86 which is extended through a bracket 88 which is fixed to and depends from the roof plate 14. A hand 3 wheel 90' is threaded on the portion 86 and bears against the forward end of the bracket 38, which is adapted to be turned to move the operating rod forwardly.

Fixed to and depending from the lower element 30 of the upper secondary section B at locations immediately forward of'the locking rod sleeves 40 are brackets 92 which have sleeves 94 on their lower ends which are axially aligned with the sleeves 40, and into which the forward ends .of the locking rods 42 are engaged, as shown in FIGURE 3, for locking the section B securely in place on the main section A. Upstanding on the upper side of the roof plate 14 forwardly of and in line with the brackets and the sleevm 4d and 94 thereof, are streamlined airfoils 96 which revent damaging contact of airstreams with the locking mechanism in the course of flight of the airplane.

For projecting the upper secondary section B upwardly away from and clear of the lower main section A, as soon as the locking rods 42 are withdrawn from the sleeves 94, spring-actuated projector assemblies, generally designated 98, are provided on the secondary section lower element 39 at locations in vertical alignment with the locking rod bracket sleeves 46.

Eachprojector assembly 98, as shown in FIGURES land 4, comprises a cup-shaped spring housing 168 secured to the underside of the lower element 30, as by rivets 102 tranversing the element and a flange 164 on the upper end of the housing. The upper end of the housing 100 is closed by a Wall 196 having a central opening 163 which is registered with a vertical bore 110 extending through the element 31 A vertical projector rod 112 extends through the bore 110 and the opening IE8 and has a disc or plate 114 fixed on its lower end, to whose underside is secured a compressible pad 116 whose purpose is to conformably and compressibly bear upon the upper side of a related sleeve 4%). A helical spring 118 in the housing 100 surrounds the rod 112 and is compressed between the plate 114 and the wall 1% at the uppei end of the hopsing 109. The rod 112 has a threaded upper portion 129 which extends above the element 30, and has threaded thereon a removable wing nut 122 which bears upon the upper side of the element 31), and which, when turned dpwn on the threaded portion 129 serves to elevate the rod 112 and compress the spring 118 preparatory to a projecting operation of the assembly 98, as when preparing to separate the secondary section B from the main section A. The wing nuts 122 are adapt-ed to be kept in a safe and accessible location on the airplane, and are to be used only for preparing the projector assemblies 98 for action following a separation operation. Obviously, with the wing nuts 122 off the projector rods 112, the springs 118 are free to serve the pads 116 firmly down upon the bracket sleeves 40, so that vibration and wing pressure are resisted in their tendencies otherwise to produce relative motions between the sections B and A. In a separation of the sections A and B, the springs 118 force the rods 112 downwardly, the pads 116 being engaged with the sleeves 40, with suificient force to raise the section B up off of and clear of the lower section A, so that there is no flight interference between the sections as they are sep arated.

Although there has been shown and described herein a preferred form of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily confined thereto, and that any change or changes in the structure of and in the relative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated as being within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. An airplane comprising a lower main fiyable section and an upper secondary fiyable section, said secondary section being superimposed upon said main section, means providing for transfer of passengers and crew between the sections, and releasable locking means separably connecting the sections, and spring-pressed vertically acting projector means on said upper secondary section bearing upon said lower main section, said projector means being under tension while the sections are connected and prior to release of the locking means and being arranged to extend and force the sections vertically away from each other when the locking means is released, said projector means comprising a vertical projector rod working through a portion of said upper section, said projector rod having a threaded upper portion above a portion of said upper section and a lower portion below a portion of said upper section, a disc fixed on said lower portion, a coil spring on said lower portion and compressed between said disc and the underside of said upper section portion, and a removable nut threaded on said upper rod portion and bearing against the upperside of said upper section portion for elevating the rod and compressibly tensioning the spring, said disc having thereon a pair for compressibly engaging the lower main section while the nut is removed from the upper rod portion.

2. An airplane comprising a lower main fiyable section and an upper secondary fiyable section, said secondary section -being superimposed upon said main section, means providing for transfer of passengers and crew between the sections, and releasable locking means separably connecting the sections, and spring-pressed vertically acting projector means on said upper secondary section bearing upon said lower main section, said projector means being under tension while the sections are connected and prior to release of the locking means and being arranged to extend and force the sections vertically away from each other when the locking means is released, said projector means comprising a vertical projector rod working through a portion of said upper section, said projector rod having a threaded upper portion above a portion of said upper section and a lower portion below a portion of said upper section, a disc fixed on said lower portion, a coil spring on said lower portion and compressed between said disc and the underside of said upper section portion, and a removable nut threaded on said upper rod portion and bearing against the upperside of said upper section portion for elevating the rod and compressibly tensioning the spring, said disc having thereon a pad for compressibly engaging the lower main sectionwhile the nut is removed from the upper rod portion, said locking means comprising longitudinally aligned locking rod receiving sleeves fixed to and depending from said upper section portion, bracket sleeves upstanding on said lower section and aligned with receiving sleeves, a longitudinally shiftable locking assembly having locking rods sliding through the bracket sleeves and insertible in and retractible from the receiving sleeves, and operating means for shifting the locking assembly.

3. An airplane comprising a lower mainflyable section and an upper secondary fiyable section, said lower main section having a longitudinal fuselage, wings on and extending from opposite sides of the fuselage and having leading edges, engine nacellemeans mounted on said leading edges, said main section having a horizontal longitudinal roof plate, said upper secondary section having a central body portion overlying and extending along said fuselage, wings on and extending from opposite sides of said body portion and spacedly overlying the wings on the lower main section and having leading edges, engine nacelle means on the leading edges of the secondary section which are staggered relative to the micelle means of the main section wings, said secondary section body portion having a lower plate overlying and spaced above the roof plate of the main section, and releasable locking means having interengageable components on said lower and roof plates, and operating means for operating components to engaged and released positions, said locking means comprising sleeves fixed on and depending from said lower plate, a longitudinally shiftable locking assem bly mounted upon said roof plate, said locking assembly having locking rods engageable in said sleeves, and spring means agting between said locking assembly and said roof 5 plate and biasing said locking assembly toward its 1ock 2,124,867 Akerman July 26, 1938 ing position. 2,373,467 Frakes Apr. 10, 1945 2,549,785 Douglass Apr. 24, 1951 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 FOREIGN PATENTS 1 523 715 R hb 20 1 25 391,658 Germany 1, 1953 ac am an 9 911,457 Germany May 13, 1954 1,926,968 Causan Sept. 12, 1933 

